Upper Pigeon River: Award-Winning Rafting Experience

Experience the thrill of Class 3 to Class 4 whitewater rapids on the Upper Pigeon River with Smoky Mountain Outdoors. Award-winning and TripAdvisor Top 10, this is the closest rafting trip to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge!

Duration: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • 3299 Hartford Rd - The longest trip on the Pigeon River
  • 1.5 miles longer than any other rafting adventure! Take an exciting 6.5 mile ride down class 3 and 4 rapids!
    On our Upper River Trip, our certified guides will navigate your raft the entire trip, sharing their love of splashing through big waves, maneuvering around rocks, and enjoying the…
What's Included
  • All applicable taxes and fees
  • Safety instructions
  • Professional guide
  • All necessary rafting equipment
What's Not Included
  • Souvenir photos (available to purchase)
  • Gratuities
  • Food and drinks
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
Additional Information

The Upper Pigeon River Trip by Smoky Mountain Outdoors is ranked among Tripadvisor’s Top 10 Experiences and has been honored with a Travelers’ Choice award. It’s the nearest whitewater rafting adventure to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge cities! Everybody is invited to join us - no prior experience is required. You’ll navigate through Class 3 and Class 4…

Location
3299 Hartford Rd
Hartford Road
Meet at our Riverside Outpost 3299 Hartford Road, Hartford, TN 37753. We will transport you to the put-in, and you will raft back to the Outpost. All customers are required to check in 45 minutes before your trip schedule. It is very important to be there on time .
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(1419 Ratings)
5 stars
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1 star
Paisleyanne
May 29, 2025
Have no fear- the adventure is here!! - The rafting trip was thrilling and fun! I was anxious about it but my fears went away once we got through our first rapids and I realized how FUN it was! The guides know how to instruct people to safely navigate the waters. Highlight of our vacation!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Priscilla
May 24, 2025
River Rat Whiteater Rafting - 5 Our tour guide Danaconda was very knowledgeable, funny and made the rafting very fun. He had us all going through the whole rafting. He was excellent. Will travel again and use him as my guide RiverRat
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dancw9069ex
May 9, 2025
Awesome Dude - Great fun going over the rapids and interreacting with the guide. The associates at the outfitters were professional.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ken
Apr 10, 2025
Great trip and guide outfitters - Great trip for our family. Cold and rainy on our day, but they provided rain gear, which helped. Guides were great. They lost their facilities in the hurricane damage but are rebuilding well and still working hard to make it as nice of an experience as possible, and the trip down the river was great
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Teamsnardy
Nov 23, 2024
Whitewater done right - A great outfitter for families experiencing rafting for the first time. SMO has it down to a science. Great guides. Plenty of safety but not too much so you can't enjoy the trip. Beats a water park any day.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Karlee23
Aug 24, 2024
Amazing journey down the Upper Pigeon River - Our party of 7 including kids aged 9-14 with little whitewater experience had an absolute blast on this adventure down the Upper Pigeon River. Our guide Preston was super experienced and tailor made our experience to maximize the most fun out of the river. Do not pass up this wonderful experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Pathfinder696665
Aug 18, 2024
Perfect! - Great trip! Beautiful scenery! Great guide! He was knowledgeable, fun, and kept us safe! We had so much fun we wanted to get right back on! 10/10
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Debbie_b
Aug 16, 2024
Great time! - Our guide, Parker, was great. We enjoyed our rafting experience! Parts of the river were calm and a few great rapids!
Review provided by Viator
Katiebf4050gk
Aug 16, 2024
Go with Bart! - Beautiful river, great family adventure, and Bart is definitely the best guide! We hit the best spot on every rapid, and everyone in our family (ages from 11 to 70) loved every minute.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Teresam561
Aug 16, 2024
Definitely put on your itinerary - We booked with SMO hours before. They were safe, professional, and efficient. First we were fitted with helmets and vests , then a short ride to the rapids. The dam was released coinciding with the time of our trip. Safety info was given on the bus was done with humor. Katie, our guide was great. My daughter loved riding "the bull) in the front. We had been rafting before. It was fun but really only Class III rapids. There was time to jump in the water to cool off. My only suggestion was to please allow the vest to dry off. They are wet and smell when you put them on and I don't think the helmets are sprayed.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $52
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).